Protective Effect ofScutellaria litwinowiiExtract on Serum/Glucose-Deprived Cultured PC12 Cells and Determining the Role of Reactive Oxygen Species

Abstract

Considering the wide, positive reporting of the role of reactive oxygen species in ischemic brain injury, searching for antioxidant drugs within herbal remedies is logical. In this study, the protective effects ofScutellaria litwinowiiBornm. & Sint. on cell viability and reactive oxygen species production in cultured PC12 cells were investigated under serum/glucose-deprivation-induced cell death. After cells were seeded overnight, they were then deprived of serum/glucose for 24 h. Cells were treated with different concentrations ofS. litwinowiiextract (7.75–250 μg/mL). Cell viability was quantitated by MTT assay, and intracellular reactive oxygen species production was measured by flow cytometry. Serum/glucose-deprivation induced significant cell death after 24 h (P< 0.001). Treatment withS. litwinowii(7.75–250 μg/mL) reduced serum/glucose deprivation-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells after 24 h. A significant increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species production was seen following serum/glucose deprivation (P< 0.001).S. litwinowii(62 and 125 μg/mL,P< 0.01) treatment reversed the increased reactive oxygen species production following ischemic insult. This demonstrates thatS. litwinowiiextract protects PC12 cells against serum/glucose-deprivation-induced cell death by antioxidant mechanisms, which indicates the potential therapeutic application ofS. litwinowiiin managing cerebral ischemic and neurodegenerative disorders.